Kyocera to Double Solar Module Manufacturing Capacity (to 500 MW/year)

http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsASMA93.htm

Kyocera Corporation today announced plans to expand its annual solar module manufacturing capacity to 500 megawatts (MW) by the end of March 2011 - more than double its current annual capacity of 240MW - in response to global demand. The company has secured supply contracts with silicon producers to ensure the steady increase in production capacity.

"For the last two years, as we endured a shortage of solar-grade silicon, Kyocera has focused on improving solar-cell quality and energy conversion efficiency," stated Tatsumi Maeda, senior managing executive officer of Kyocera Corp. and general manager of the company's Corporate Solar Energy Group. "Among the world's fully integrated suppliers that manage every stage of the process, from casting silicon ingot to engineering and supplying complete solar electric generating systems, our goal is to lead the industry in both quality and quantity."

Kyocera says the company currently holds the world record for energy conversion efficiency in 15x15cm polycrystalline silicon solar cells, at 18.5%. The new raw material contracts will allow the company to expand capacity throughout its quadripartite global manufacturing network for solar modules, which includes plants in Yohkaichi and Ise, Japan; Tijuana, Mexico; Kadan, Czech Republic; and Tianjin, China.

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http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAMA81.htm

Evergreen Solar is expanding its manufacturing operations with a new facility expected to be located on the campus of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) in Westborough, Massachusetts. The Company's Board of Directors has approved the construction of a new $150 million facility that will increase Evergreen Solar's production capacity in Massachusetts by 70 MW and double its employee base in the state to more than 600 employees. Evergreen Solar currently operates its prototype production and manufacturing facility in Marlboro, Massachusetts.

"Over the last three years, we have shown that our string ribbon technology is scalable as we have increased annual sales fourfold to approximately $100 million in 2006 through our joint venture in Europe," said Richard M. Feldt, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Evergreen Solar. "Our new plant in Massachusetts is a natural evolution of this market penetration as we focus on the significant opportunities in the United States. Several states aggressively pursued our planned new facility. Governor Deval Patrick's vision for broad scale solar power adoption through an innovative solar incentive program as well as the creative financial incentive programs that the Governor, the Legislature and the Town of Westborough are expected to provide were key factors in our decision to expand in Massachusetts."

"Evergreen Solar is one of the companies that is going to help us get clean energy right," said Governor Patrick. "I am proud that my economic development and energy and environmental affairs teams are able to help Evergreen Solar grow and thrive right here in Massachusetts, and give us a head start toward building a clean energy economy."

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that these manufacturing plants and jobs are going to citizens all over except in the US.

I never thought during my lifetime I would see the US sink from being the world leader in so many areas to the mess we have today.